X designed and operated the “Verified Account” interface with the “blue tick” in a manner that deviates from industry practices and deceives users. Evidence suggests that malicious actors have abused the “Verified Account” to deceive users, as anyone can subscribe to obtain this “verified” status.
X fails to meet the requirements for advertising transparency as it does not provide a searchable and reliable advertising database. In particular, its design does not allow for necessary supervision and research on the new risks associated with online advertising.
X has failed to grant researchers access to its public data as required by the DSA. Specifically, X prohibits qualified researchers from independently accessing its public data, such as through the scraping methods specified in its terms of service. Furthermore, the process by which X grants qualified researchers access to its Application Programming Interface (API) seems to hinder their ability to undertake research projects or requires them to pay disproportionately high fees.